The present invention relates generally to mowers for cutting grass, brush and the like, and more particularly to such mowers of the type intended to be mounted on the front end of a vehicle, such as a loading truck for picking up the material cut by the mower.
The use of mowers mounted on the front ends of vehicles are of advantage since the matter cut by the mower can be directly swept or picked up by the vehicle driving the mower. Such front mounted mowers are therefore preferably mounted on the front ends of vehicles such as loading trucks.
It is important to mount the mower on the front end of the vehicle in such a manner that it will easily ride over any uneven contour of the ground or any obstacle. Additionally, it has been found necessary to mount the mower on the front end of the vehicle in such a manner that it can be moved out of a cutting position and into a non-operating position to permit the vehicle to be driven over roads without creating the possibility of damage to the cutter assembly and to have the mower located in such a position that it will not present a visual obstacle to the driver of the vehicle. Known mowers of the type mounted on the front ends of vehicles have been found to be inadequate because they are either of a type which will not easily yield to obstacles encountered during the cutting operation, or cannot be easily moved to a non-operating position in which the cutter assembly is in a position to minimize possible damage, or they do not allow the driver of the vehicle to have an unobstructed view of the road.
The object of the invention is therefore to provide a mower of the type to be mounted on the front end of a vehicle having a support for the cutter assembly which permits the cutter assembly to ride safely over the ground and any obstacles encountered during the cutting operation to avoid possible damage to the cutter blades.
The mower must also be able to move from a cutting position to a non-operating position in which the cutter assembly is relatively safe from road hazards while the vehicle is being driven over a road and in which the driver of the vehicle has an unobstructed view of the road.